Heartstopper season two was released at the beginning of August for the fans’ happiness! The Netflix series is known for its good representation of sexuality, mental health issues, and life as a teenager – and Nick Nelson, played by actor Kit Connor, is no different.
As the character develops, we learn more about his struggles and how it is to be a bisexual guy. Thinking about this, Her Campus Cásper Líbero decided to show you all that people like Nick do exist in real life!
Who is Nick Nelson?
Nicholas Nelson is a tall, blonde, British boy who plays rugby and loves his boyfriend, Charlie Spring. At first, we have the idea that he is another straight popular boy who only talks to Charlie because they have a class in common, but as his character develops, we get to know him more deeply.
Nick constantly questions his sexuality superficially, but after figuring out his feelings for Charlie, he starts to take online tests and read articles on bisexuality. And after concluding he is bisexual, Nick tells Charlie and admits his feelings.
After accepting who he is, the next challenge starts, coming out. Throughout season two, the couple reflects on whether it is or not time for Nick to come out, taking into account all his worries. But, spoiler alert, as the story goes, Nick feels more confident and starts to come out to friends, family, and even his not-very-present dad.
What is it like to be Bisexual in real life
Leaving the fictional field, some people share a similar experience as Nick Nelson, that’s the case of the college student Fernanda Alves. In an interview, she opened up about the process of discovering her bisexuality: “I discovered I was bisexual at the beginning of high school. It was different because I had always been attracted to guys, but I didn’t understand how I felt when I found a girl very attractive – I thought I wanted to be like her, for example”.
Once she accepted herself, it was time to tell the others and her main fear was how her friends would react, since she was the “straight friend” and would end up breaking some expectations. But, just as her mom was very receptive and welcoming, so were her friends.
However, with her dad things were a bit more complicated, since he found everything very confusing, and understood that liking one genre doesn’t cancel out interest in any other. Some family members will never get to know, due to political opinions. Today, she feels more comfortable with my group at university and, above all, with my boyfriend.
I’m Bi, actually
Throughout the season, Nick says several times “I’m Bi, actually”, because many characters assumed he was gay, once he started a relationship with a guy. This situation reflects real life when society, sometimes, erases a person’s bisexuality when it comes to romantic relationships.
After season two was aired, users on Twitter complained about the repetitive sentence, saying it was “Unnecessary”. After that, Netflix Brasil showed he only repeated the phrase six times during the eight episodes. For Fernanda, it’s very important how he, dating a man, emphasizes whenever is possible that he is bisexual. Invisibility in the face of this sexual orientation happens precisely at that moment: when people assume that a person is straight or homosexual just because of their partner.
Bisexual representativeness
Representativeness matters in every aspect, since every cinematic universe is a way for the public to feel seen and understood, and sometimes it encourages people to do stuff. For the college student Fernanda Alves, the representativeness nowadays is way better than in her childhood, but there are still many points for improvement.
I discovered the existence of bisexuality on my own, I didn’t see it on TV or in the media when I was younger. Today, at times, I think this representation is still very stereotyped, but it’s becoming less and less so. When I follow content on the internet, I look for bisexual people or at least those who give them space to speak.
Her first contact with LGBT+ characters was with the TV show Glee, and she identified with the characters, providing her comfort and feeling very welcome. “It was as if those characters were saying or singing what I felt, but didn’t necessarily know, you know? I identified with them so much that, even a long time later, I still listened to their songs when I felt anxious or lonely”, she confessed.
So… Who is Nick Nelson?
Nick Nelson is a character that brings representativeness to young people, makes them feel seen, and causes reflection. And Fernanda is proof of that: “I thought the scene of him telling his mother about his sexuality in the first season was beautiful – I recognized me and my mother at that moment”. She also reflected on the scene of coming out:
“Do we need to go through this anguish? Or can’t sexual orientations that differ from heteronormativity just be inserted into our daily lives in such a way that it’s not necessary to “come out of the closet”?
In a Netflix post, some fans wrote how they felt after watching the series, check it out:
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The article above was edited by Júlia Pupo Mucha Fagá.
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